Speaking at the WindEurope Offshore Conference 2019—a cutting-edge international gathering for offshore wind industry professionals—Shell has announced its plan to make its synthetic wind turbine oil, Shell Omala S5 Wind 320, carbon neutral. This would make it a more sustainable choice for wind farm operators.
To achieve this, “nature-based” carbon credits will be dedicated from its global portfolio to compensate for any carbon dioxide emissions over the course of the lifecycle of the lubricant. A carbon credit is essentially a license to emit a tonne of carbon dioxide emissions. This can be useful in cases where a product cannot be made without some element of greenhouse gas emissions, so this is compensated for by reducing or avoiding a tonne of carbon dioxide emissions elsewhere.
This could include, for example, implementing afforestation projects, capturing methane emissions from landfill gases and agricultural waste, protecting existing forests, or replacing a coal-burning power station with wind or solar power.
Shell also pointed out that its Omala S5 Wind 320 gearbox oil also comes with a 10-year guarantee, giving operators the confidence to extend drain intervals safe in the knowledge that the oil will still consistently protect against mechanical wear and avoid costly unscheduled downtime.
According to the company, the synthetic Shell Omala S5 Wind 320 wind turbine gearbox oil boasts best-in-class filtration technology, which in turn contributes to reducing bearing and gear damage. Shell says it achieves this while still delivering top-class lubrication performance that increases gearbox reliability and improves wind turbine efficiency.
